


An Understanding

by Disasterkyoshi



Series: Early Days [3]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Childhood, Childhood Friends, Coming Out, Coming of Age, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Self-Discovery, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:34:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25470943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Disasterkyoshi/pseuds/Disasterkyoshi
Summary: Before Rangi is about to start at the Royal Academy for Girls, she starts to notice how her family is starting to treat her and her mother differently. Ranging on from there, Rangi starts to question several parts of herself that she once never had issues with. Her relationship with her mother, Hei-Ran, changes as she does.
Relationships: Hei-Ran & Rangi (Avatar), Kyoshi/Rangi (Avatar)
Series: Early Days [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1826665
Comments: 4
Kudos: 101





	1. Traditions

As Rangi got older, she started to notice a change in her distant relatives’ topics of interest. Conversations moved away from their own lives and onto hers, which would be alright if they asked her about life at the Academy or her opportunity to be the next avatar’s personal guard. However, those topics didn’t come up. Instead, conversations revolved around how _wrong_ it was for Hei-Ran to bring Rangi with her to the Royal Academy for Girls instead of off to a co-ed school _where she could meet a nice boy_. Hei-Ran was scrutinized for every choice she had made for Rangi, choices she had made as requested by Rangi herself. _She_ wanted to attend the Royal Academy. _She_ wanted to complete her training to be the avatar’s guard. It was Rangi, not her mother, who had wished these actions into existence.

“Hei-Ran, you need to understand that you’re setting a rather poor example for Rangi.” Rangi heard a tense voice arguing with her mother. She peered into the room and saw a tall woman pleaded with Hei-Ran. Her long, wavy black hair flowed down around the piece tied together with red fabric. Gold and red jewelry overflowed from her neck. “She needs to understand that there’s more out there than just _fighting in the army.”_ Her hands fluttered in the air mockingly with her last few words. Hei-Ran faced her sister-in-law’s complaints in stoic silence, unamused.

“And you want me to do, what, exactly?” Hei-Ran shot back. “It’s not exactly like I can just ship her off to another noble boarding school that’s co-ed.” The monotone voice her mother bore sent shivers down Rangi’s spine. She’d heard it several times before only to know the true anger driven within.

“The least we can do,” the woman straightened herself, as if she were about to strike a business proposal, “for what happened to my dear brother, Junsik, my husband and I would be honored to take Rangi in and help raise her.” Whatever Hei-Ran was expecting, it wasn’t this. Her original cool and stoic expression vanished with the abrupt change to disbelief and anger. Her jaw dropped.

“Excuse me?” Hei-Ran started. She was aghast at the proposition the woman had just offered to her. “You want to take _my_ daughter away from me?”

“I’m sorry, Hei-Ran, but my husband and I both agree. Rangi needs more cultural and social experiences. Only knowing the army life is just not fair for her.” The woman continued on. “If she came with us, she’d be living with our own two, both of whom are around her age. She’d go to a nice noble school where she could focus on things outside of just fighting. She could learn to be a girl.” 

Rangi couldn’t help but make a small gagging sound. It’s not like she didn’t know _how to be a girl,_ it’s that she didn’t _want_ to live like a noble girl. Something her own mother rejected as well. Her sound was too loud. Her mother and aunt shot their heads over to the doorway Rangi was hiding behind. There was no point in hiding anymore. Rangi presented herself in the room. The woman stood straight, shifting her direction towards Rangi. Hei-Ran approached her daughter gently.

“Rangi, dear. Go to your room. I will find you when I’m done here.” She said softly, placing a hand gently on Rangi’s shoulder. She turned her head towards the woman behind her. “It shouldn’t be too much longer. I was just asking your aunt to leave.” Rangi nodded when she met her mother’s gaze again. She turned around and headed back down the hallway to her bedroom. The last thing she’d heard before getting out of earshot rung in her head the whole way down.

“Hei-Ran, please just listen to reason. Rangi needs to learn the customs of Fire Nation women before it’s too late. You may have found Junsik, but look at you. You’re here alone now. Is that the life you want for your daughter?” Rangi’s heart sank further down with every replay of her aunt’s final sentence.

_Is there something wrong with me?_ Rangi kept asking herself this question over and over. She felt _wrong,_ but she didn’t want to do what her family wanted. She wanted to join the army, and why would she care if she knew the customs of Fire Nation women? Why did she need to meet a nice boy? Her own mother exemplified exactly what she wanted in life. She didn’t care if she met a nice boy. Normally, her justifications after these interactions reminded her of her goals, but now, with the question of being _wrong,_ Rangi couldn’t bring herself to remember why she wanted to be how she was.

Rangi was laying in her bed when her mother entered her room.

“I’m sorry you had to hear that.” Hei-Ran said soothingly as she walked to Rangi’s bed. She placed a hand on Rangi’s forehead, combing her fingers through her hair. Rangi sat up.

“She made some good points.” Rangi looked down. “Maybe I should learn how to _be a girl._ ”

“If you want to learn, you are more than welcome to learn.” Hei-Ran responded calmly, searching for the right words as her sentence continued.

“What if I don’t want to learn?” Rangi questioned further. “Did you ever learn these customs? What did she mean about you finding dad?”

“You don’t have to learn. And as for your father, some people here in the Fire Nation think that the highest honor a woman can have is to become a wife. Some people believe the only way to be a woman is to find a man, to be anything but feminine is to be wrong for any man.” Hei-Ran sighed. “Your father’s side of the family thinks that I was an ill-fitting wife, that I couldn’t provide what traditional families were.” There was a long silence. Thoughts welling up in Rangi’s mind, questions and doubts alike. Emotions were becoming overwhelming inside her chest.

“Is there something wrong with me?” Rangi asked, her voice broke as she looked up desperately at her mother, searching for an answer to a question her mother was _definitely_ not prepared for. A sharp sigh escaped Hei-Ran’s lungs as she knelt beside her daughter.

“There is absolutely nothing wrong with you.” Hei-Ran said, lining herself up with her daughter’s line of vision. She stroked Rangi’s hair gently. “You are the only person who matters when choosing what you want to do. These relatives, they like to think they know what’s best for children they have no control over. They don’t know you.”

Rangi lunged out for her mother, wrapping her arms around her mother’s shoulders as tears started to flow from her eyes. Hei-Ran hugged her back.  
  


“I’m sorry.” Rangi cried, her breathing jagged and uneven. “I’m sorry she wants to take me away.”

“She’s never going to take you away.” Hei-Ran comforted her daughter, stroking her back in a slow, soothing motion. “You are in charge of your own life. So long as you want to stay here, you’re staying here.”

Rangi gripped onto her mother as if she was never going to see her again, as if the earth beneath them was going to split between them. Hei-Ran held her daughter with a matched grip, humming gently as she lulled her back to calm. She gently stroked Rangi’s hair again.

As Rangi grew tired, she placed herself back into her bed. Hei-Ran stood up, and with one last stroke through her daughter’s hair, she headed back to the door. As she was about to leave, she turned back to face her daughter one last time for the night.

“No matter what you do, I’ll always be proud of you.” She said before closing the door behind her. With that, Rangi curled deep into her sheets, quietly humming herself into a sleepy haze. Slowly, she drifted into a heavy sleep.


	2. The Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rangi's first day at the Royal Academy for Girls was off to a good start, until someone brings up the headmistress's agni kai with her cousin

Hei-Ran was met with immense resistance on Rangi’s father’s side for encouraging her interest in fighting. She wondered what Junsik’s opinion on his family’s behavior would’ve been. Part of her believed he would side with her, encouraging Rangi to follow what she wanted to do. On the other hand, he had passed long before Rangi began showing any interest in joining the army. _Would he have been supportive?_

She leaned her head into her hands, rubbing her temples slowly. It was the first day of the new term, the first term Rangi was entering at the Academy. _This will be good for her,_ Hei-Ran repeated, like it had been her mantra for the past week. Rangi making friends was only the tip of the iceberg of what Hei-Ran was fearful of. She wondered if maybe she should have let Rangi’s aunt take her to another school.

She glimpsed at the names of the students joining Rangi in their first year at the Royal Academy, begging the spirits not to find a clan name from _that_ year. Her heart pounded harder and harder at every passing name down the list. Nothing came to her memory, until…

“Oh _no._ ”

* * *

Rangi was standing in a line outside the ceremonial hall. At the beginning of every new year, an inauguration of sorts was held to both welcome the first years and honor those graduating. The girls surrounding her were all chatting away with one another, introducing themselves or finding family friends beside one another. Rangi was no exception; she was exceptional at making friends, as described by several family members. Her caring instinct matched with her hot-headed attitude consistently made her one of the first to make friends.

“Okay girls. Settle down.” A woman spoke over the large group of children. “Girls, we must prepare for the walk into the–”

“GIRLS” another woman shouted over the cheerful chatter. The volume dropped almost instantly. “As you were saying, Sifu.” The stout woman looked to the other teacher next to her. She was younger and looked as though she was in way over her head.

“Right,” she cleared her throat. “Now, ladies, you will be lined up at the west entrance into the hall. Your names will be announced in the order that you’re currently standing in. You will walk in after your name is announced. You walk straight up through the aisle, and then you turn when you get to the end. Walk towards the Headmistress, stop exactly where the West set of seats ends, and bow. Once she dismisses you, head to your seat on the west side of the stage. Is that clear?”

“Yes, sifu.” The collective response of the girls before their teachers echoed through the hall.

As the girls lined up to face the west entrance, a hand was placed on Rangi’s shoulder. The two women stood over her, sharing a nervous smile as they looked down at her. The younger of the two women knelt down to Rangi’s height.

“Rangi, dear. Just to double check, are you part of the Sei’naka clan? As in, is Headmistress Hei-Ran your mother?” The woman asked.

“Yeah!” Rangi responded excitedly.

“Thank you.” The woman stood back up, looking towards the other with a more worried expression now.

Rangi waited her turn, and as they got to her name, she noticed a drawn out pause before the woman reading off the names said hers.

“Rangi of the Sei’naka clan.”

A stark silence filled the air. Rangi wondered if the other girls felt as anxious walking down the deafeningly quiet hall. She got to the end of the aisle, turned, and walked towards her mother, who was waiting expectantly at the end of the east side seats. She stopped at her que, bowed, and walked to her seat. She sighed, exhausted. That was the most exhausting walk of her life. The silence as the crowd watched her felt as if she were being judged for execution.

The commencement ended, and the girls were excused in the opposite order of their age groups: final years leaving first, and first years leaving last.

Classes on the first day were mostly introduction. They learned their classmates’ names, random facts about themselves, and maybe occasionally starting certain lessons if there was enough time. When the time came for their midday meal and recess, Rangi was one of the first at the door.

Rangi and her two new friends ran straight out into the courtyard, which was filled with first- and second-year students. The light, sandy toned gravel was packed down hard and moistened with water before they had been moved outside. Tables lined the long sides near the wings of the school, and a large, plump tree was planted in the dead center of everything. Two large, grey rocks lay on either side of the tree, an inviting area for the three girls to enjoy their hour off.

As Rangi was sitting on one of the large boulders, legs folded with her meal neatly placed in front of her, one of the students in her year approached.

“Sei’naka?” The girl asked wearily, looking directly at Rangi.

“Yes?” Rangi answered with a questioning tone. She was confused, not understanding why so many people questioned her clan.

“Your mom– is your mom the headmistress here?”

“Yes. Why does everyone keep asking me this?” Rangi was losing her patience.

“Is it true your mom killed your cousin?”

Rangi dropped her chopsticks. Her back straightened. She couldn’t have heard that correctly. She looked at her two friends beside her, who looked back with an equally confused expression.

“What?” She finally asked.

“My sister said the headmistress killed her cousin in an Agni Kai in front of the entire school.” The girl looked sheepish, but she pressed on. “She said that they were competing for the title of headmistress here.”

A second-year student had overheard part of the conversation, but she mustn’t have realized Rangi was her daughter.

“I heard about this too!” She called out as she walked over. “It was all people talked about for a long time.”

Rangi’s heart felt like it was about to burst out of her chest. Her throat felt like it was closing as she listened to these girls recount the story of how her mother had murdered their cousin.

“That’s not true!” Rangi shouted. “That can’t be true.”

“I mean,” the second-year student said, “Headmistress Hei-Ran was not the favorite choice for the role. I know my parents didn’t necessarily enjoy the idea of one of the Fire Nation’s highest ranked military commanders as our headmistress. They thought it was a strange match.” The girl pondered for a moment. “When the whole disaster happened with her cousin, my parents almost moved my sister out of here. They thought she was going to turn us all into assassins.”

Rangi felt a heat building up from her stomach into her ears. Her eyes burned from the tears she was forcing back.

“You’re lying! My mom never killed my cousin. She’s never killed–” Rangi stopped before she could finish her sentence. She never actually considered whether her mother had ever killed anyone before. She _was_ in the army, after all.

“My sister saw it.” The younger girl responded. “She said she still gets nightmares about the scream her cousin let out.”

More girls were starting to congregate over to the tree, hearing small details about the headmistress’s Agni Kai incident.   
  


“I heard she only made it look like an accident.” Rangi heard one girl say.

“I heard she bribed the school to clear her honor.”

“She _definitely_ had planned it before challenging her opponent.”

“This is what happens when military commanders are challenged. They’re _trained_ to kill!”

The voices were starting to blend together in an overwhelming sea of accusations. Rangi couldn’t breathe. She searched for an exit from the crowd around the tree.

“STOP.” Rangi shouted, an explosion of fire emitted from her throat trailing behind her voice. It stretched out towards the crowd. Most of the girls had gotten out of the way in time, but the second-year girl who stood directly in front of her wasn’t so fast.

Rangi heard a scream, followed by crying. She looked around frantically, looking for the source of the yelling. The girl was crouched in front of the clearing Rangi had made with her fire. Her hands were cupping the side of her face. Rangi could see blood red, blistering skin by the girl’s forehead. Two teachers came rushing towards the screaming second-year girl. Rangi could breathe again, but it was jagged, uneven. She frantically looked around at the girls staring in fear and awe of what they just witnessed. Silence fell over the courtyard, to the point where even the wind felt like it had stopped blowing.

“She tried to kill me!” The second-year girl shouted. “She’s just like her mom; she’s a killer!”

The tears Rangi had so desperately tried to hold back were forcing their way out. She jumped off of the boulder and ran through the clearing, her head pointed towards the ground, avoiding everyone’s gaze as she passed. She ran into the school, turning down each hallway until she could find her mother’s room.

Rangi didn’t even think about knocking first. She pushed the door open with an urgency that refused to be ignored. She was lucky she caught her mother alone, realizing if her mother had been in a meeting, it would have been a detrimental blow to not just her honor, but their clan’s and the school’s.

Rangi looked up at her mother, who appeared to have a knowing expression on her face. The tears started streaming down her face, and in one swift movement, Hei-Ran was out of her seat, door closed shut, and holding her daughter.

“What happened to our cousin?” Rangi sharply directed her question at her mother.

“Rangi,”

“TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED!” Rangi pushed away from her mother’s embrace.

“It was an accident, Rangi!” Hei-Ran cried. “It was an accident, and you were too young to understand. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I should have. I didn’t think this would follow you here.” Hei-Ran tried to reach out and hold her daughter again, this time for her own sake. Rangi shifted away, staring at her mother as if she were a stranger.

“Have you killed other people?” Rangi’s voice was quiet, scared of the answer her mother would give.

“I was in the army.” Hei-Ran matched her daughter’s solemn tone.

“That doesn’t answer my question.” Rangi’s voice bolstered. “Have you killed people? Have you killed other people in Agni Kais? Did you kill in the army?”

Hei-Ran stared at her daughter for what felt like an eternity, an expression riddled with sorrow and grief plastered to her face.

“Yes.” Her voice cracked. “I have.”

Rangi took a step back, not taking her eyes off of the headmistress. She slowly took another step, then another, until she could reach the door next to her. The woman in front of her was not someone she knew.

“You’re not my mother.” Rangi said in a low voice, devoid of any emotion. She put her hand up to the door, not taking her gaze off of the woman in front of her until the door was opened, running back out into the school.

* * *

It had been days since Hei-Ran had spoken to her daughter, since her daughter even so much had looked her in the eye. When presented to her mother, Rangi merely looked the opposite direction, refusing to acknowledge Hei-Ran’s existence. She knew, someday, that her daughter would need to learn about her past, but _not right now,_ she thought. _She’s too young._

Every day felt like another breath she couldn’t take. Every time her daughter saw her around the school, she avoided her with every possible tactic known to man. Rangi’s evasive maneuvers cut through Hei-Ran stronger than any fight she’d ever had. At least the screaming and accusations meant she still cared. This, however, was _terrifying._ Rangi had never pulled this before. Hei-Ran feared they would never recover from this. The pain, the fear, sat like a lump of ice between her lungs.

Three knocks came at her door.

“You may enter.” Hei-Ran called out.

One of the teachers opened the door cautiously, inching in as if to hide what was behind her.

“We, um, have a student who needs to speak with you.”

“Very well, send her in.” Hei-Ran waved her hand dismissively. The teacher disappeared, and in walked Rangi, a defeated look on her face.

Hei-Ran leaned forward in her seat. Rangi still refused to look her mother in the eye.

“Are you going to tell me what you did? Or am I going to need to bring the teacher back in here?” Hei-Ran asked firmly.

Rangi stayed silent, still refusing to look her mother in the eye.

“Very well.”

Hei-Ran walked to the door, and called out for the teacher to come back, asking her what had happened.

“Well,” The teacher chuckled nervously, “Rangi had brought it amongst herself to attack another student…physically. There was no bending involved. We got to them before any harm was done; Rangi had only gotten in a few slaps.”

“Thank you; you may go now.”

The teacher bowed and headed on her way. Hei-Ran closed the door and turned to Rangi.

“So, the secret’s out.” Hei-Ran now had the upper hand, and her tone let her daughter know that she wasn’t speaking to her as her mother, but as the headmistress. “Do you want to explain yourself?”

There was a long period of silence. Rangi still refused to look her mother in the eye, looking down at the floor, brow furrowed. Her cheeks were colored with a deep red that traveled to her ears. Finally, she spoke.

“She asked me if you killed my dad, too.” Rangi sniffled and rubbed her nose. Her cheeks puffed out with a determination to conceal her sadness with anger.

Hei-Ran’s stomach knotted. Rangi still refused to look at her mother. Junsik’s death was so sudden, so unexpected, that even Hei-Ran hadn’t fully processed it properly. She sat silent, both stunned from the statement and hoping Rangi had more to say.

“You wouldn’t have killed him, would you?” Rangi’s voice cracked, and she finally looked up. Hei-Ran could see the tears threatening to flood out of her eyes. Her heart broke for her daughter. She knew that Rangi would be followed by the Agni Kai, but question about her father’s death struck a deeper chord.

“Of course not.” Hei-Ran said solemnly.

The two stayed silent for a moment, both avoiding the other’s gaze. When they finally did look at each other again, Hei-Ran felt a sudden rush of relief. Her daughter looked at her as if she wanted to apologize.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about our cousin sooner.” Hei-Ran initiated. “I’d hoped this would’ve died down by now. I guess I was wrong.”

Rangi nodded slowly. She stayed quiet for a few moments.

“I’m sorry too.” She finally managed to say.

“Now,” Hei-Ran cleared her throat, having difficulty trying to move on from the subject. “Don’t think you’re getting away with what you did today, young lady. Regardless of what your classmate said, your actions are not going unpunished.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so when I started this fic, i was expecting to make it more about Rangi growing up and her relationship with her mom as she starts to realize she's not exactly straight, but i really wanted to write a side bit about the cousin/agni kai thing from the rise of kyoshi and was NOT expecting it to end up this long...that being said, I hope you enjoyed this piece!!


	3. Polite Company

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rangi is in detention. She makes a friend

“I need you to understand,” Hei-Ran explained, “your actions are no longer just yours anymore. Here at the Royal Academy, your actions now directly reflect me, the entire Sei’naka clan, and the school.” 

Hei-Ran stood tall over her daughter, but she spoke softly to ease her harsh facts.

“I need to maintain an unbiased opinion during this time, which is why you will be put on cleaning duty every day after classes end for the next two weeks.”

“What? Mom!” Rangi complained.

“What’s done is done.” Hei-Ran snapped. “Starting today, you will be making up for your explosion by managing the courtyard and cleaning the restrooms. _Every. Day.”_

Rangi looked down in defeat. Hei-Ran pressed on.

“This is not about you.” She sighed. “I should have explained this in much greater detail before any of this ever happened. Presenting yourself with the Sei’naka name means you need to be the best. Any blunder to your honor is tenfold that of any other clan name.

“You have a choice here, Rangi, one I’ve already presented to you before. You chose Sei’naka. Your father’s side, they have offered themselves to take you in and teach you their world. You would be a noble, still, but their honor is almost unshakeable. They’re known far less for their people. Your honor wouldn’t be such a high risk.

“I want to ask you again. Do you want to be brought up by your father’s side? Do you want to learn under their influence?”

Rangi stayed quiet, it was clear she was thinking through every option. She looked back at her mother.

“No.” Rangi said. She locked her gaze on her mother and gave her a look of sheer determination. Her expression radiated a fire and determination that struck Hei-Ran with equal parts pride and fear. She saw herself in front of her, nine years old, and preparing herself for every possible hardship she’s yet to face.

Hei-Ran straightened herself, flattening her mouth in a pleased expression.

“Very well, student. You are dismissed.” She said, allowing her daughter to leave. “Head to the courtyard directly after classes end. There, you will start your detention duties.”

“Thank you, headmistress.” Rangi straightened herself, nodded, and proceeded to exit.

* * *

As her mother had requested, Rangi headed to the courtyard for her detention. She was met by an older teacher waiting off to the side.

“Good afternoon, Rangi.” The old _Sifu_ said. Rangi bowed before addressing her.

“Good afternoon, _Sifu._ ” She responded. “What am I tasked with doing today?”

“You’ll start here, in the courtyard, by getting the sand patted back down perfectly even.” The woman explained, “When you think you’ve finished, you will come to me or the gardener. One of us will examine your work and determine whether it’s finished or not.

“The gravel needs to be packed down tightly, completely unmovable. Once you feel it’s packed tightly, one of us will water the courtyard down, and then you will pack it down again. This is not a quick task. If you finish before dusk, you will clean at least one of the restrooms. If not, you will be free to return to your living quarters. I will be in my office. If you need anything, come find me there.”

“Thank you, _Sifu._ ” Rangi bowed as the woman escorted herself out of the courtyard. The door to her office was directly in front of the entrance.

At the central tree, an assortment of three different tools were available to Rangi. One was a large, square base with a wooden pole that stuck out of the center, obviously indicating that it was for packing down the gravel. The second large tool had another long wooden pole connected perpendicular to the pole for holding it. The third was a more commonly seen tool, with a rake-like bottom.

Rangi grabbed the rake and started moving outward from the tree, getting as much gravel away from the exposed roots and boulders as possible. She moved outward toward the walls, until she hit the long side. From there, she started moving up and down the long side as straight as she possibly could.

Rangi noticed a figure standing in one of the entrances. As she got closer to the doorway, she saw it was the girl from her first day, the second-year student. A large bandage was patched to the girl from the side of her temple up to her hairline. Rangi was relieved to see that whatever injury this girl received wasn’t as large as she’d expected. She noticed she was staring and diverted her gaze, working exhaustively at the ground in front of her.

“May I stay here?” The girl asked amicably, “I can sit on one of the tables.” Rangi looked back at her, blinking once.

“Why?” Rangi asked, sounding more uninviting than confused.

“Well, _usually_ nobody’s here,” The girl shot back, only more inviting than Rangi had been, “but since you’re around, I figured I should ask before seating myself.”

“I’m sorry, but I thought the classrooms and surrounding areas were off limits after school hours.”

“Oh, they are, which is why I come here.” The girl proceeded to walk over to a bench lined up against the wall. In a swift movement, she was leaning her back against the wall with both legs propped up on the bench.

“You could get in trouble!”

“Who’s going to tell?” The girl smirked as she looked Rangi directly in the eye. Rangi met her gaze and refused to back down from the conversation. “Besides, I thought you could use a friend.”

Rangi’s expression faltered. She’d expected a fight, or at least some form of a threat from the girl she’d hurt only a few days ago. Her brow furrowed as she waited for the girl to speak again.   
  


“I’m Amaia.” The girl said, “and you’re Rangi.” She smiled, but Rangi was still suspicious of the girl’s intentions. She looked down and continued working on the gravel surrounding them.

“I’m sorry I said that you tried to kill me.” Amaia sounded sincere.

“I’m sorry too, about the…” Rangi pointed at the area she had burned on her own face. “I didn’t mean for that to happen.” She kept her voice quiet, trying to keep any sort of fight from happening.

“The doctor said it should heal without any scarring.” Amaia curled herself up on the bench, watching Rangi finish her raking of the gravel.

“So, how come you’re allowed to be here?” Rangi asked.

“I’m not allowed. I just hide around until everyone’s gone. It’s a lot easier to study without all the other girls around.” She patted the knapsack beside her.

Rangi nodded to herself in agreement. The study areas around the dormitories were always loud. In the week she’d been there, she had yet to find a place to study in the first-year student areas.

“I heard it gets quieter after third year.” Amaia carried on with her one-sided conversation.

“I thought you wanted to study.” Rangi jabbed.

Amaia chuckled, which in turn made Rangi smile to herself as she moved to patting down the gravel with the wooden platform.

“Alright, alright. I’ll _study._ ”

Cautiously, Rangi started to change her opinion on the girl sitting in the courtyard with her. If she really wanted to hurt her, she would’ve. Besides, who was she to turn down a friend in light of her two outbursts within the first week of her first term.

Amaia sat silent on the bench, reading and writing vigorously as Rangi continued on her own work around the courtyard. The sky slowly started to turn a fiery orange over the academy’s roofing. By the time the orange reached the peak and ran across the sky, Rangi decided it may be the best time to tell her newfound friend to leave.

“It’s getting dark,” Rangi said.

“They have lanterns out here.” Amaia responded without missing a beat of her reading.

“I’m almost done with the courtyard.” Rangi pressed on. Amaia, finally, moved her gaze from the book in front of her to the courtyard.

“So you are.” She said, raising herself from her almost-flattened position. “Well, you’ll probably have to get someone out here soon.”

Rangi nodded.

“Alright, I’ll be out of here then. You don’t need more trouble on your end than you already have.” Amaia smiled. “How long did you get?”

“Two weeks.”

Amaia let out a burst of laughter. “Wow, your mother is the headmistress, and she gave you _two weeks?_ I do not want to get on her bad side!”

The girl collected her books back into her bag, muttering small statements about how _crazy_ two weeks of courtyard duty is. As she finished pouring her books back into her bag, she turned to Rangi.

“Same time tomorrow?” She jokingly asked. Smirking, she left through the door.

As Rangi watched the girl walk down the corridors towards the dormitory halls, she couldn’t help but hope that she would see Amaia then.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made an OC!! I'm not super happy with this chapter, but I really wanted to introduce the character. I thought this was a good place to end the chapter. Kudos and comments are appreciated! Thanks as always for reading! :)


	4. New Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rangi makes some new friends, but something feels amiss.

Rangi sat alone at their midday recess most days. Amaia accompanied her when she could, but her friends in her own year also wanted her attention. They were too afraid of Rangi to agree to invite her in. Rangi wished she could spend more than a few short moments with her newfound friend. She wished she could spend time with any friend. It was hard; she’d never had trouble making friends before.

Her day was no exception to the rule. She walked across the courtyard towards the far corner. The students at this point knew to step out of her way. It hurt. She hated this place. She sat down at her bench, pulling out her meal to eat in silence. Another girl sat down in front of her.

“What’d you get today?” This new girl asked, smiling. She had an authoritative voice, met with genuine curiosity. Rangi looked at her, frozen as she was half-hunched over her meal to start eating. It felt like a trap, or maybe it was a mistake. Regardless, it felt _wrong._ “Anything you want to trade?”

“I– Uh, no. Not really.” Rangi said. She looked at her meal set in front of her. An assortment of meats, rice, and a cup of tea were perfectly set in front of her.

“Aw, not even for my custard bun?” The girl asked. Rangi couldn’t refuse that offer. _How did she­–_ she thought.

“Okay, what do you want?” She offered her meal up to the girl.

“Your katsu.” The other girl responded. Coincidentally, that was what Rangi had been holding in her chopsticks as the girl disrupted her meal. Reluctantly, Rangi placed the piece of meat back down on the bed of rice, moving the bowl over to the other side of the table. The girl, in turn, pushed her bun over towards Rangi, as if they were in a business transaction.

“You’re Rangi.” She said after a moment. “I’m Koulin. Can we sit with you?”

Rangi nodded, chewing on her food. Koulin then waved, and a few other girls started to collect over by benches and table. Shortly thereafter, the girls all started talking and giggling to one another. The inviting bustle around her made her feel like she never missed a beat making friends. She started to smile as she looked around at the girls surrounding her, but something made her stop.

Koulin was watching her carefully. She had a smile on her face, but something felt off. Something wasn’t sincere, something Rangi couldn’t place.

“My aunt is Lady Huazo.” Koulin said. “I think your mom is her friend.”

“Oh yeah!” She said. _So that’s what it was,_ Rangi thought. Koulin was just making sure she was who she thought she was. Rangi relaxed herself for the rest of the meal, talking and giggling with the rest of the group.

* * *

Shortly after befriending Koulin and her friends, Rangi started noticing odd stares as she passed in the halls. The girls in her dorm moved out of the way for her when she walked by. It felt off, suspicious. She was so concerned about the way the girls were acting around her that she almost ran into one of her classmates approaching her

“Hey, Rangi!” The girl called out before impact. Rangi whipped her head around, halting on her toes.

“Hey!” She responded, trying to disregard the events leading up to their meeting.

“I had a question.” The girl said, looking bashful.

“Oh,” Rangi felt a knot in her stomach, “what’s the question.”

“Well, you see,” She said, keeping her eyes off of Rangi, “I heard something about your mom–”

“No, she didn’t kill my dad, and the Agni Kai death was accidental.” Rangi cut the girl off.

“It’s not that.” The girl’s voice faded. “I heard that she killed the old Headmistress to get her spot.”

Rangi’s face gave away her utter disbelief at the statement. That, she knew, was a blatant lie. The former Headmistress retired and handed the title down to Hei-Ran. Rangi just saw her for tea a week prior to school starting.

“That’s…so wrong.” Rangi couldn’t find the right words. “Where did you even hear that?”

“I don’t know.” The girl kept her gaze down, avoiding Rangi’s interrogative stare. “I heard it from a few people. Everyone knows. I’m sorry; I’ll be going now.” Keeping her gaze down, she ran off back into the safety of the crowds.

Rangi stood there, dumbfounded by the accusation she’d just heard. She felt frozen by the sheer absurdity of the comment just made. What was she supposed to do? Tell her mother? What was she going to do? Questions flooded through Rangi’s mind.

“Hey Rangi,” Koulin’s voice approached from behind. “What are you standing here for?” She smiled as she looked Rangi in the eye.

“Sorry,” Rangi said as she collected herself. “Someone just asked me the weirdest question.”

“Oh?” Koulin looked curious, treading lightly so as not to pry.

“She asked if my mom killed the old headmistress.”

“Well, did she?”

“No, of course not!” Rangi got more defensive than she meant to. “I just saw the old headmistress before school started. She retired.”

“Oh.” Koulin’s voice sounded disappointed, but when Rangi looked at her, her expression was bright and bubbly. “Well, at least you can prove that that one was fake.”

Rangi scrunched her brow at that comment. Koulin’s comment cut deeper than she must’ve realized.

“Well, you know.” Koulin retaliated. “The Agni Kai thing _did_ happen, and your dad, what did happen to him?”

“He got sick.” Rangi responded, feeling a lump forming in her throat. It felt like his death stung a little more with each passing year.

“Oh.”

Koulin got quiet. The two girls walked together towards the school building for their day. Rangi hoped she could see Amaia soon. It had been a few days.

* * *

“Rangi!” Amaia came running up to her at the courtyard during their midday meal. Rangi’s heart raced, if only momentarily, as she realized who was calling out for her. However, as she approached, she noticed Amaia’s expression was more of worry than happiness. She stopped in front of Rangi, taking a breath before continuing to talk. “What’s with the new story I’m hearing?”

“She didn’t!” Rangi shot back. “The headmistress is still alive! She’s close friends with my mom, and I see her all the time.”

“No, I know that.” Amaia said, “Why am I hearing that your mother almost sent you off to your father’s clan after he died?”

Rangi, yet again, was at a loss for words. “I–”

“Hi there!” Koulin called out, her friends following closely behind. “I’m Koulin, of the Saowon clan.”

“Hi!” Amaia said, smiling and introducing herself. “I’m Amaia.”

“Amaia,” Koulin echoed. “That’s a different name.”

“I guess it is…” Amaia’s voice got quieter. She started to withdraw into herself.

“It’s weird.” Koulin drug the point home. “Rangi, don’t you think it’s weird?” Rangi saw the two girls looking back at her, but Amaia’s expression surprised her. Instead of looking upset, she looked at Rangi as she was telling her to agree.

“Yeah.” Rangi said. “Weird.”

“Anyways, do you want to go play Hide and Explode with us?” Koulin had directed the question towards Amaia, but she somehow knew she was included in the term _us._

“Sure!” Amaia responded. The group then all started running off to their corner, where a few of the girls were waiting back.

Rangi looked back at Amaia, who was staring at her. She looked worried, and Rangi could understand why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi hi! Thank you for reading, as always :) I'm trying to get the next few chapters churned out for Rangi to grow up a little bit, but there's important stuff in here fur future chapters. Anyways, I will (hopefully) get her to a slightly older age within the next two chapters or so. I promise!!! there is a point for all of this childhood stuff!!!


	5. Second Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The relationship between Rangi and Hei-Ran is changing.   
> Rangi misses her friend, who's now a third year.   
> A discussion of the Junior Corps is brought up.

There were three terms in each year of school at the Royal Academy. Each term was precisely 3 months long, with three weeks off in between. The final term would end, and a six-week vacation would take place before the next year started. 

Rangi was thrilled to be going back home to their island at the end of each term, and as the end of her break came close, she found herself dreading to go back. The only source of motivation to return usually came from seeing her dear friend, Amaia, again. After Koulin befriended Amaia, the two of them had been able to spend more time together. Rangi started looking forward to seeing Koulin because it often meant that Amaia was close behind. However, this new term was also the start of the new year. Amaia would be in the third-and-fourth-year group, and Rangi would be left with Koulin and her friends in the first-and-second-year group.

Koulin was fun to be around, and her other friends made Rangi feel less alone. However, Amaia was her first friend, and she was the only one who ever seemed to truly believe when Rangi denied the rumors about her mother. She was going to miss seeing her every day. She started scheming ways to see Amaia more after school.

“You seem distracted.” Hei-Ran’s voice cut through the silence in Rangi’s training session. “A good soldier needs to be able to eliminate _all_ distractions, even those internal.”

Rangi furrowed her brow and took a deep breath. Upon exhaling, smoke blew from her nose.

“ _Rangi!_ ” Hei-Ran hissed. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m sorry!” Rangi yelped. “I didn’t mean to.”

Hei-Ran’s expression was harsh staring down at her daughter. An overwhelming sense of responsibility fell on Rangi right then and there. It felt as if the entire world relied on Rangi to do this one training exercise perfectly. Hei-Ran looked furious, as if Rangi were failing her in this one-on-one training session.

“Firebending is most affected by your emotions.” Hei-Ran snapped back. “You need to learn how to separate your feelings from your bending.”

“Yes, _Sifu._ ” Rangi bowed. It had been instilled in the past few breaks that, during training sessions, Hei-Ran was no longer her mother. She was a firebending master, teaching her student.

Turning back to her target, Rangi closed her eyes and took another deep breath. Only this time, on the exhale, the image of Amaia left her mind. She separated herself from her future, and she started on her exercise.

The target was across the training room from her. A black silhouette lined against red walls. One kick, followed by two fire fists, the goal of the exercise was to leave one scorch mark with three blows. It was usually a simple task for Rangi, but the dreaded reminder of a new term starting up loomed over her.

“Good.” Hei-Ran said. “Again.”

Rangi listened without hesitation. The sooner she performed her tasks, the sooner they’d be over, and the sooner she’d get her mother back.

After about the fifth perfect round, Hei-Ran hummed, pleased, indicating that training was over. Rangi watched her turn on her toes and start walking back into their home. Rangi followed close behind. The door couldn’t reach them fast enough, Rangi thought. Once Hei-Ran reached that door, her harsh façade would fade, and the mother Rangi knew would return. Rangi hoped that their breakfast conversation wouldn’t revolve around her firebending, as it often did nowadays. Rangi couldn’t recall if her mother even so much as asked her about the friends she’d made at school. She wanted nothing more than to talk about Amaia, and maybe even someday, she could talk about inviting her over.

Walking into their home, the maids waited to escort them to their meal. Down the hall, into a warmly lit room, a black table sat low to the ground in the center. Two red tea cushions accompanied each long side of the table, which was loaded with food and tea. Rangi’s mouth watered looking at the selection in front of them. She waited for her mother to be seated before she sat down.

“So, are you excited to start back up at school?” Hei-Ran asked, not looking away from the food she was grabbing off the table.

Rangi stayed silent. She wasn’t sure how to respond.

“I mean,” She started cautiously. “I think so?”

Hei-Ran scrunched her brow. 

“What do you mean you _think_ so?” She sounded sharp, offended. “You know, I made my best friends growing up at the Academy.” 

Rangi looked down at the food. She felt ashamed for not wanting to go back to school.

“I just,” She said, “I don’t really have many friends.” The words hurt more coming out than she expected. It was as if they pulled a lump into her throat when they exited.

“Well, then, that’s more reason for you to focus on your studies.”

Rangi had enough. She wanted her mom back.

“I want friends.” She shot back, pushing the plates surrounding her towards her mother. “But you made that a little hard for me.” She could feel the tears threatening behind her eyes. Rangi stood up as if she prepared to fight her mother right then and there.

Hei-Ran’s expression faltered. Her once-stoic look evaporated when her eyes widened. She lifted her gaze upward, but she caught herself before looking at her daughter.

“We’re not having this conversation.” Hei-Ran said before continuing to grab her food and eat. Rangi wondered what happened that her mother became so cold. She left the tearoom, only eating a small handful of food. She was still hungry, but the hurt she felt left her without much appetite.

* * *

The first couple of weeks weren’t so bad. Rangi still found ways to see Amaia, and the two of them enjoyed themselves apart from Koulin and her group. The girls in the hallways still avoided her at all costs, but at least no real big rumors had yet to come out. Koulin was also more interested in becoming better friends with Rangi. Things felt alright. Rangi was starting to let her guard down, and right when she did, the flood gates opened.

“Did your mother _really_ try to send you off to your father’s clan?” One girl asked one day.

“I…what?” Rangi asked, dazed. This accusation had been made the year before, too. She had blown it off then, but this time, coming from a complete stranger, it hit like a ton of bricks.

“I heard your mother poisoned your father and tried to ship you off to his clan.” She repeated.

“That’s not true!” Rangi defended.

“What’s not true?” The girl asked, starting to become more brazen. “That your mother poisoned your father, or that she tried to abandon you?”

Rangi wanted to say both, but the accusation that her mother poisoned her father was a new one. It stopped any words, any breaths for that matter, from escaping her lungs.

“Why would she poison my dad?” She tried to retort.

“Why wouldn’t she? It’s not like she hasn’t publicly killed others.” The girl said. “Don’t you know she holds the record for most ‘accidental’ kills in Agni Kais?” She crossed her arms, puffing out her chest to signal having the upper hand.

Rangi felt like she’d been hit by multiple blows. She couldn’t remember which way was up. She felt woozy.

“I have to go…” She said, slowly backing away from the girls crowding around her. She got herself out of the sight of the other girls and ran full speed to the one place nobody knew to look.

There was a small nook underneath one of the seats that jutted out from the walls surrounding the courtyard. It was by the corner of one of the inside corridors, leaving the perfect place to disappear into. It was something Amaia had shown her the year before, giving away how she’d managed to hide from all the teachers when school ended.

It was there that Amaia told Rangi that she’d been accepted into the Junior Corps. She’d be moving out to the Fire Nation Army training camp starting during the breaks for the rest of that school year, then she’d take a full term there during fourth year, two breaks and a full term fifth year, and then her entire sixth year would be in the Junior Corps. It was a special program they held with the Royal Academy to recruit particularly gifted students into the Army. Rangi was happy for her, but a bitter pain was left in her chest at the realization that she wouldn’t see her friend nearly as much.

She hid there, under the seats, for the rest of the hour. As much as she wanted to know how much of the girl’s statements were true, Rangi also feared the answers. Did she really try to send her off to her father’s clan? _Is that why she’d been so persistent in asking what she wanted?_ Had she gotten so snappy with her daughter because of her choice to stay?

* * *

It was customary, especially for the younger age groups, for the parents to pick up their children at the end of the week. Hei-Ran would meet and talk with every single one about the weekly updates on their children. As for the headmistress and Rangi, they had to split their weekends between both places. This week, unfortunately, was for staying on the grounds.

Rangi often told herself _it’s better than with all the other girls,_ as if it made being in the school any easier. On the contrary, her weekends there resulted in vigorous firebending sessions with Hei-Ran or one of the other teachers. She had tutors come in and help her in various subjects, which she didn’t need, but her mother insisted anyways. She often argued with Hei-Ran that she was already at the top of her class. It wasn’t necessary to be doing all this extra teaching.

“Don’t you want to stay on top?” Hei-Ran would always respond. To which, Rangi always had a fiery answer to.

“If I get any further ahead, I’d be in the third-year class’s material.”

Hei-Ran smirked. “Only third-year?” She taunted.

After everything Rangi had been put through with her classmates, her mother’s remarks stung more than anything. Rangi had a hard time figuring out whether her mother was legitimately upset with only being at the third-year level, or if she was just joking. Everything felt like her mother wasn’t actually pleased with her accomplishments.

Rangi grunted and continued working on her assignment.

“I hate it here.” She said under her breath, wiping her nose as she stared a hole through the book in front of her.

“You’re free to move anywhere in the school.” Hei-Ran said. She didn’t move from her position facing the front entrance. Rangi stopped for a moment, and she thought before continuing.

“I hate it _here._ ” She hissed. “I hate this school.” She felt the burn of her tears in her eyes.

Her sharp words must’ve stung Hei-Ran, because Rangi watched her shift her shoulders. It looked like she’d just taken a blow from the back. She looked like she’d shrunk.

Hei-Ran sighed.

“Rangi…” She said, her voice broken and quiet.

“I wish I’d gone to my dad’s clan.” She spat. She wanted to throw as many of the worst possible statements at her mother as possible. She wanted her mother to turn around, to face her, to look her in the eye. Yet Hei-Ran remained unmoved.

“I know you wished I went too.” While she was still seated, Rangi was in the position of a true soldier. Her shoulders pinched back, back straight, chest high, and her chin pointed out. If this wasn’t enough to make her mother turn around, she didn’t know what would.

“ _Rangi!”_ Hei-Ran’s voice cracked. Her head shot around, and Rangi could see a glimpse of pain behind her mother’s eyes.

It was enough to shatter the wall Rangi had built up. The flood gates were opening. Her breath was threatening to heave. She started to cry.

“I hate it here!” She yelled again. Hei-Ran rushed towards her daughter, kneeling down to her height.

“Why?” 

“I just _I hate it!”_ Was all she could say. She couldn’t tell her mother about the rumors.

“Rangi, breathe. Breathe.” Hei-Ran soothed. Her voice low, hushed. Whether it was so not to inform anyone nearby – although they appeared to be alone – of the fit Rangi was throwing, or if it was to calm her down, she wasn’t sure. Either way, Hei-Ran was looking at her. She was acknowledging what she’d been hiding.

Rangi took deep breaths, trying desperately to compose herself. _In, out. In, out._ She repeated to herself, following her mother’s beat. As she recomposed herself, she looked at Hei-Ran. She looked back with an expression Rangi couldn’t quite place. Concern didn’t fit. It was some sort of mixture of a drive for progress and a sadness of what’s to come.

“You are the top of your class.” Hei-Ran started quietly. “You said it yourself, any further progression, and you’ll be in the next year’s material.”

Rangi nodded, confused as to where her mother was going.

“Your firebending is, well, up there with some of the best sixth years.”

All of these genuine compliments felt wrong. Rangi wasn’t used to this.

“What I’m saying,” Hei-Ran said carefully, “is that I think you could graduate early.”

 _Oh._ Rangi blinked. That wasn’t expected.

“I think we should get you applied for the Junior Corps this year.” She continued on. “That way, you could be tested as if you were a third-year, and you could take their tests.”

Rangi thought for a moment. It wasn’t a difficult decision to make. Joining the Junior Corps would put her in the third-year group _and_ get her away from this school. Being in the Junior Corps with Amaia was an added bonus.

“It’s okay if you want to take your time–”

“I want to do it.” Rangi had made up her mind. She was going to join the Junior Corps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi hi! I'm just trying to speed these next few chapters along! I want to get to slightly-older Rangi soon!! As always thank you all for reading!!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!! I really wanted to write something about the relationship between Hei-Ran and Rangi, and Rangi's relationship with herself.


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